USA Baseball Fact Sheet
In late October 1995, USA Baseball concluded its annual National Trials at the Homestead (Fla.) Sports Complex. Sixty-six (66) of the top collegiate baseball players in the nation were invited to participate in USA Baseball's most recent evaluation stage in preparation for the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. Of the 26 players that comprised the 1995 USA Baseball Team roster, 23 attended; 43 additional collegians rounded out the field.
During the current spring collegiate baseball season, USA Baseball will monitor the progress of several top collegiate players, including those that participated in the autumnal trials. The next meeting of potential USA Baseball Team - and ultimately Olympic Team players - will be in late May at the team's National Training Site - USA Stadium - in Millington, Tenn. USA Baseball began inviting players to spring camp in January and will continue to invite players throughout the spring baseball season until the total reaches 40. In addition to the 40 players formally invited, players that meet skills criteria as defined by USA Baseball may also participate in a registered walk-on tryout. After evaluating the talent of the walk-ons, USA Baseball may invite one or more players to continue in the spring trial camp.
USA Baseball will trim its travel roster to 25 on June 16. The 1996 NationsBank USA Baseball Team Tour will begin June 7 and continue through July 15. In addition to 15 games at the National Training Site, the USA Baseball Team will travel to 15 cities and play a total of 32 games. Top international teams, including Cuba, Nicaragua, Japan, Korea, Australia, and Italy will provide the competition. All of these teams qualified for the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta.
Following the pre-Olympic tour and immediately preceding the Olympic Games, the team roster will be pared to the required 20 players.
Timeline to the Olympic Games
| Jan - May 1996 |
USA Baseball invites 40 collegiate players to spring camp |
| May 27 |
Spring camp opens with walk-on tryout |
| May 29 |
Forty formally invited players begin workouts |
| June 7 |
1996 NationsBank USA Baseball Team Tour begins |
| June 16 |
1996 USA Baseball Team roster is trimmed to 25 players |
| July 19 |
Olympic Games Opening Ceremonies |
| July 20 -30 |
Olympic Baseball preliminary round (7-game, round-robin format) |
| August 1 |
Semifinal games |
| August 2 |
Medal games |
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